Asda

  • Extra Special Albariño Rias Baixas

    Extra Special Albariño Rias Baixas

    This 2024 vintage of Extra Special Albariño from Rías Baixas, produced by Bodegas Pazo Cilleiro in Galicia, stands out not just for its gleaming trio of 2025 medals, bronze from IWC, silver from IWSC, and bronze from Decanter, but for offering a genuine taste of its Atlantic homeland. Made entirely from Albariño and bottled at source, so it adheres strictly to the Denominación de Origen Protegida regulations, setting it apart from other bulk-bottled bottles often found on supermarket shelves. Immediately inviting with an aroma of peach and pear on first pour, it shifts quickly into sharper territory once tasted. Lemon…

  • Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

    Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

    I first came across and liked this wine at the Asda Spring Summer Wine Showcase and just to be sure, I tried it again more recently. It’s an Australian red made by Complexity, a producer sourcing grapes from family-owned vineyards spread across South Australia’s premium wine regions. While Australia is far better known for Shiraz, my search at this year’s trade tasting suggested that other varietals are certainly worth exploring. This particular wine is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with a touch of Merlot and Petit Verdot in the blend. It’s been matured in French oak for a year and the 2023…

  • North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2023

    North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2023

    I first discovered this wine last year and it quickly became one of my top picks. It stood out not just in character, but as one of my outstanding wines by value. I had the chance to try the new 2023 vintage at the Asda Summer 2025 showcase, and while it still shone, I wanted to compare it more closely with the 2020 vintage. So here we are. The new vintage shows a touch less browning than the 2020, appearing slightly darker in the glass. It carries that same savoury, almost ‘twiglet’ aroma with striking intensity. On the palate, the…

  • Blondel Champagne Premier Cru

    Blondel Champagne Premier Cru

    I first discovered this Champagne at an Asda tasting, where it immediately stood out to me. I was keen to try it again, particularly as I’ve found that some Champagnes I’ve enjoyed at tastings have often not lived up to expectations when revisited later. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case this time. Produced by Blondel from a single block of vines in the village of Ludes, located on the northern side of the Montagne de Reims, this wine comes from a site classified as Premier Cru. It borders some of the region’s most renowned Grand Cru villages, including Mailly-Champagne, Verzenay and…

  • Exceptional by Asda Grüner Veltliner

    Exceptional by Asda Grüner Veltliner

    This Austrian white caught my attention at the Asda Spring 2025 press tasting. It stood out immediately in a strong line-up and I was keen to take a closer look before it hits the shelves. It’s already just picked up a Bronze at the IWSC and it’s easy to see why. Made by Markus Huber in Niederösterreich, this is a 2024 vintage at 11.5% ABV, using 100% Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s flagship grape. Grüner Veltliner often shows a balance of stone fruit character with a lively, spicy streak and this bottle delivers exactly that. There’s a lovely suggestion of ripe pear…

  • 25% Off Wine at Asda

    25% Off Wine at Asda

    Asda has 25% off wine, on £5.50 per bottle or more, 6 bottles or more, from 22 May 2025 until 26 May 2025. See the latest press tasting for tips on what to buy.

  • Asda Spring Summer Wine Showcase

    Asda Spring Summer Wine Showcase

    Early May marked the final supermarket tasting of the spring/summer tasting season, with Asda’s showcase in London closing things out. With 128 wines available to try, this event offered a few new additions and some much-loved favourites presented as newer vintages. As expected for the Spring/Summer, there was a strong emphasis on refreshing whites, rosés and lighter reds, along with a handful of more robust reds ideal for barbecue weather. Asda’s Wine Atlas range, relaunched last year, continues to evolve and impress. It now has a dedicated hotspot in stores (see photo, left, I previously took in-store) and is seeing…

  • 25% Off Wine at Asda

    25% Off Wine at Asda

    Asda has 25% off wine, on £5.50 per bottle or more, 6 bottles or more, from 11 April 2025 until 5 May 2025. See the Autumn/Winter Press tasting for tips on what to buy.

  • 25% Off Wine at Asda

    25% Off Wine at Asda

    Asda has 25% off wine, on £5.50 per bottle or more, 6 bottles or more, from 20 February 2025 until 2 March 2025. See the Autumn/Winter Press tasting for tips on what to buy.

  • Marques Del Norte Rioja Gran Reserva

    Marques Del Norte Rioja Gran Reserva

    After the recent Asda press tasting, I decided to revisit the Marques Del Norte Rioja Gran Reserva to see if my initial impression of it being a great wine still held. With an ABV of 14%, this wine is also a 2024 IWSC Bronze Medal Winner. This Gran Reserva, made entirely from 100% Tempranillo grapes, is richly aromatic. It offers an aroma of black fruits, chocolate and a gentle hint of oak. On the palate, it delivers flavours of cherry, liquorice, vanilla and a little spice. Upon re-tasting, I also found it reminiscent of M&S’s El Duque De Miralta Rioja…

  • North Canterbury Pinot Noir

    North Canterbury Pinot Noir

    This Pinot Noir from North Canterbury, New Zealand, was my top pick of a recent Asda press tasting, where over 100 wines were sampled and where many others agreed it was a highlight. Its quality has been recognised with a Bronze Medal at both the IWSC 2024 and IWC 2023. I had to take a more in-depth look. Its light brown hue is unusual for a 2020 vintage, immediately catching the eye. The cigar-like aroma and savoury spice notes hint at complexity and depth, inviting further exploration. On tasting, delicate hints of violets and herbs weave through an intriguing, deep,…

  • 25% Off Wine at Asda

    25% Off Wine at Asda

    Asda has 25% off wine, on £5.50 per bottle or more, 6 bottles or more, from 15 November 2024 until 15 December 2024. See the Autumn/Winter Press tasting for tips on what to buy.

  • Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz

    Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz

    I often revisit wines I’ve enjoyed at press tastings. Spending days with a bottle rather than seconds gives a fuller picture of its character, especially when comparing with similar wines. This applies to the Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz 2022 (£9, 14.5%) that caught my attention at a recent Asda press tasting and I promised to explore in more detail. To recap, the Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz has already gained a Bronze Medal at the IWSC 2024 and the IWC 2024, along with a Silver Medal from the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2023. Its made from 3% Cabernet…

  • 25% Off Wine at Asda

    25% Off Wine at Asda

    Asda has 25% off wine, on £5.50 per bottle or more, 6 bottles or more, from 15 October 2024 until 1 November 2024. See the Autumn/Winter Press tasting for tips on what to buy.

  • Asda Autumn Winter Wine Showcase

    Asda Autumn Winter Wine Showcase

    I attended Asda’s Autumn/Winter Wine Showcase which took place in October 2024. The event highlighted Asda’s impressive achievements, with 91% of their own label and private label wines having won awards this year, a total of 350 awards. Asda continues to focus on maintaining high quality by blending their wines at the source whenever possible. There is the upcoming rebranding of their premium products. Look out for the launch of ‘Exceptional by Asda,’ featuring a new rosette logo. The first wine release under this brand is the Exceptional Blanc de Noirs Champagne, with more wines to follow in the run-up…

  • 25% Off Wine at Asda

    25% Off Wine at Asda

    Asda has 25% off wine, on £5.50 per bottle or more, 6 bottles or more, from 19 August 2024 until 26 August 2024. See the Spring Summer Press tasting for tips on what to buy.

  • ASDA Extra Special Pinotage

    ASDA Extra Special Pinotage

    Having recently enjoyed this wine at an Asda press tasting, I decided to purchase a bottle to experience it in a different setting. This wine comes from South Africa. Pinotage originated in 1925 as a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut and was developed by Abraham Izak Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University. It’s usually known for its typically deep colour and bold flavour. The 2022 vintage of ASDA Extra Special Pinotage has a lighter colour than is typical. On the nose, there is a hint of blackcurrant but it is pleasantly devoid of the volatile acidity…

  • Villa Maria at Asda

    Villa Maria at Asda

    Following on from my previous two posts on wine offers, I have come across a great reduction on Villa Maria Taylors Pass Sauvignon Blanc that I found to be ‘the best of them all’ at the Hatch Mansfield (importer) tasting and is one of my picks. It’s currently on offer, only at Asda, for £13, reduced from £16. The Private Bin Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough is also currently on offer at Asda for £8 (down from £10.50). I reviewed this wine separately and found the latest vintage to be excellent, also making it one of my top picks.

  • 25% Off Wine at Asda

    25% Off Wine at Asda

    Asda has 25% off wine, on £5.50 per bottle or more, 6 bottles or more, from 24 July 2024 until 11:59pm on 28 July 2024. See the Spring Summer Press tasting for tips on what to buy.

  • Cheapest UK Supermarket for Branded Wine

    Cheapest UK Supermarket for Branded Wine

    A Which? investigation has found that Tesco is the cheapest supermarket for branded wines if you have a Clubcard. An analysis of prices for 15 branded wines at major UK supermarkets (Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose) from 1 February to 30 April 2024 revealed Tesco’s Clubcard discounts made it the most affordable, with a total cost of £108.43 for the basket. However, without a Clubcard, Tesco’s prices were the highest at £120.67. Asda was the second cheapest overall at £111.16 and had no loyalty scheme requirements for discounts. Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose also offer member-only discounts, but data…

Did You Know?

Nearly a third (32%) of UK consumers say they have already used AI for alcoholic drinks advice. More

Among socially active wine buyers, 37% have bought a wine recommended online. More

In 2026, 72% of consumers now think wine knowledge is essential to appreciation, up 20 percentage points on 2025. More

Rías Baixas wines reached more than 107 countries in 2025 and exports represented 31 per cent of the denomination’s total sales. More

Light Strike Can Cause Wine Degradation in Just One Day. More

People actively adjust their wine choices depending on who might see them. More

In the UK, 73% of Alcohol is Bought From Retail Rather Than Hospitality. More

UK wine production reached 124,377 hectolitres that year, meaning the UK accounted for roughly 0.05 per cent of world output. More

For Crémant, grapes must be harvested by hand and the wines must undergo at least nine months’ ageing before release. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More

Local UK bottling of wine represents about 40% of imported wine. More

Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More

A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More

Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More

In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More

In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More

In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More

Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More

Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More

In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More

Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More

8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More

Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More

Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More

Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More

Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More

During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More

In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More

In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More

In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More

In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More

In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More

In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More

Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More

In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More

In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More

In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More

The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More

Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More

Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More

In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More

The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More

90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More

IMAGE WALL